Triet said that he highly values Chau’s achievements and his contributions to mathematics, which has brought honour to the nation.

He said that Chau’s prize reflected on the standards of mathematics in Vietnam and that he hoped Chau would continue to contribute more to the field in Vietnam and the world.

The same day, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung also sent a letter of congratulations to Mr Chau on his prestigious award.

In the letter, PM Dung sent his best regards to Professor Ngo Bao Chau and his family for receiving the Fields Medal, the world’s most prestigious award in mathematics, making Vietnam second only to Japan in Asia to have won the medal.

He said that this was a great honour for Professor Chau and his family and the pride of the Vietnam’s education sector, the Vietnamese people and a great encouragement to young scientists in Vietnam.

PM Dung pointed out that although Mr Chau is totally dedicated to his research, he has spent a lot of time teaching mathematics in Vietnam recently. Mr Dung said he hopes that Professor Chau will further contribute to the development of mathematics in Vietnam and that Vietnam will nurture more and more talents for the contingent of young scientists with assistance from predecessors like Professor Chau.